Georgian prosecutors say contract killing of Niko Kvaratskhelia solved
Niko Kvaratskhelia murder case
The brothers Davit and Guram Kakulia, along with Besarion Zhvania, the son of Georgia’s late former prime minister Zurab Zhvania, have been charged with organising the deliberate murder of 22-year-old Feedc online platform founder Niko Kvaratskhelia in September 2021.
According to the прокуратура, Zhvania will be placed on a wanted list, and within the legally established timeframe prosecutors will apply to the court to have him remanded in custody as a preventive measure. The Kakulia brothers are already serving sentences in a separate case.
Prosecutors allege that the Kakulia brothers planned the killing in revenge for the 2001 death of their father, reputed crime boss Davit Kakulia. At the time, responsibility for the “liquidation” of the criminal authority was attributed to Niko’s father, Gia — also described as a crime boss.
According to the prosecution, the Kakulia brothers shared their plan with Besarion Zhvania, who then began searching for those willing to carry out the murder.
Niko Kvaratskhelia was a 22-year-old programmer and the founder of Georgia’s first social platform, Feedc. He was widely seen as having a promising future in the IT sector.
The killing took place on 15 September 2021 on Anjaparidze Street in the central Vera district of Tbilisi. Niko was shot around ten times near his car. CCTV footage showed that the gunman had been waiting for him and opened fire in broad daylight in a busy area. Kvaratskhelia died after being taken to hospital.
For five years, Niko’s mother, Izo Omadze, has been demanding that those who ordered the killing be brought to justice. Several days ago, she announced plans to hold rallies to press those demands.
According to the investigation, Zhvania approached his associates Aleko Chelidze and Giorgi Kaviladze, proposing that they carry out the group murder of Kvaratskhelia on behalf of the Kakulia brothers. They agreed.
The indictment states that in July and August 2021, Chelidze and Kaviladze travelled several times to Armenia, where Davit and Guram Kakulia were staying, in order to receive instructions and plan the organisation of the killing.
Later, in early September, the Kakulia brothers allegedly crossed Georgia’s state border illegally, according to the prosecution. Investigators say Besarion Zhvania was aware of this and provided them with accommodation in a house owned by his family on Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue.
According to prosecutors, Chelidze and Kaviladze regularly visited that address, and the Kakulia brothers gave them a mobile phone to maintain communication.
The prosecution has also released video footage which, it says, supports the version of events set out in the indictment.
Aleko Chelidze and Giorgi Kaviladze have already been found guilty of the deliberate murder of Kvaratskhelia, as well as the illegal acquisition, possession and carrying of firearms and ammunition. They were sentenced to 17 and 16 years in prison respectively.
